The Hockey News

THE LAST TIME A goaltender won the Calder Trophy was back in 2009. That’s when Steve Mason went on a tear to help the Columbus Blue Jackets secure the franchise’s first playoff berth. Mason put up an outstanding 10 shutouts, and though the Jackets lost in the first round to the defending champs from Detroit, it was a major year for the team. Unfortunately, in his next three-and-a-half seasons with Columbus, Mason tallied a total of just nine shutouts. He was then dealt to Philadelphia, where he had one more outstanding campaign (2014-15, when he recorded a career-best .928 save percentage) before finishing his pro career at 30. Early on in 2021-22, it appeared as though Detroit’s Alex Nedeljkovic might make a run at the Calder, but ultimately he finished 14th…

JANUARY 27, 2018, EXACTLY five years ago, was my first day as the new owner and publisher of The Hockey News, and I have to admit that I had absolutely no idea what the publishing business was all about, how it worked, and, in many cases, how it doesn’t work. What inspired me to buy it when I was told it was on the chopping block was my love of the brand since I was a kid and my sense of obligation that I had to step in and do whatever it took to take it off its path to closure in 2018. Knowing full well that I would be a rookie in the publishing industry, I also knew that I was a veteran in the business world, so I would just…

ADJUSTING TO THE NHL is difficult for incoming rookies, but it’s not just the on-ice component they have to think about: for players who came out of major junior, this could be the first time they’ve had to live on their own. Even those who went the college route may not be entirely comfortable with cooking their own meals all the time. That’s why veteran teammates have often stepped up to make the transition to the world’s best league a little easier for its newest players – the practice is both commonplace and comforting for the newbie. When Ron Francis entered the league with the Hartford Whalers in 1981, he lived with the team’s starting goaltender. “My first year, I lived with Greg and Ann Millen,” Francis said. “I was supposed…

FILIP GUSTAVSSON >MINNESOTA WILD THE SECOND EDITION OF the Reverse Retros were hit and miss, and some fans might bristle at the Minnesota Wild adopting the North Stars’ colors. But we say it’s a small price to pay because it helped bring Filip Gustavsson’s throwback bucket into the world. The clean green, white and yellow design is an homage to the North Stars’ colorway and former keeper Kari Takko. Takko, who played parts of six years in Minnesota, was among the first Finns to see consistent NHL crease time and is a Liiga legend. He was inducted into Finland’s Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006.…

ERIE OTTERS >2022-23 THE OHL’S ERIE OTTERS have unleashed an awesome sweater to represent Black History Month. The design, created by artist and hockey fan Jordan ‘Jo’ Dabney, will debut on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and features many great details to unpack. For the logo itself, Dabney wanted to reflect the fact many Black North Americans don’t know their specific African ancestry, so instead of using traditional symbols and prints, she created her own. Within the otter logo are the letters ‘E,’ ‘O’ and ‘B,’ representing the Erie Otters and Black excellence. There are 96 dots on the animal, as the Otters were founded in 1996.…

THIS WINTER, THE FIRST Peoples Rookie Cards set by Upper Deck will offer up the first NHL trading cards of eight former players with Indigenous heritage. Some of these players, such as former Penguins captain Dan Frawley, played a good number of NHL games but were overlooked by card companies during their careers. Others played only a handful of NHL games but had successful careers elsewhere. The cards were designed by Indigenous artist Jacob Alexis, with card-back biographies written by Indigenous card collector Naim Cardinal. First Peoples Rookie Cards will be given away at the Mushkegowuk Cup minor hockey tournament from Feb. 17-19; the Little Native Hockey League Tournament from March 13-18; the First Row Collectibles card shop in Winnipeg; the Hockey Indigenous Development Camp; and the 3 Nolans Hockey…